Today, let’s make the original bulgogi burger 불고기버거, the Lotteria-style bulgogi burger. I confidently claim that this bulgogi sauce is 1000% the same as Lotteria’s bulgogi burger. Today, I will reveal the secret of this delicious Bulgogi burger recipe.
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Original Bulgogi Burger 불고기버거
I once had a Bulgogi burger in Belgium. It was topped with some product sauce on the patty. I literally wanted to scream “Nooo” in my heart because of how bad it tasted. That’s when I decided to share the taste of the delicious Original Korean Bulgogi Burger.
The original Korean Bulgogi Burger is the Lotteria Bulgogi Burger. So when any Korean thinks of a bulgogi burger, the first taste that comes to mind is definitely the Lotteria Bulgogi Burger. It’s a really simple menu item with a sweet bulgogi sauce smeared over the bulgogi patty, yet it’s one of the most popular items at Lotteria and a beloved nostalgic food for many Koreans.
The bulgogi burger I’m going to show you today is in the style of the Lotteria bulgogi burger. When I took a bite, it was so identical that I almost burst into tears. As a Korean living in Europe, I have missed this soul food-like bulgogi burger full of childhood memories. I couldn’t find it to eat. But to be able to make it myself and have it taste exactly like the Lotteria Bulgogi Burger, I was truly amazed.Today, I would like to share this emotional taste with you all.
What Is Bulgogi? 불고기
Bulgogi is a signature Korean dish made by marinating beef or pork in a flavorful seasoning. Then, it’s grilled to perfection. The most popular type of bulgogi is beef bulgogi, which is made by thinly slicing various beef cuts such as chuck, sirloin, or round. The meat is marinated in a sweet soy sauce-based marinade and grilled with vegetables like mushrooms, onions, and carrots. Other variations include gochujang (spicy red pepper paste) bulgogi and pork bulgogi.
What Does Bulgogi Taste Like?
As for the taste of bulgogi, the sweet and spicy marinade deeply penetrates the beef. The thinly sliced meat remains tender and easy to chew. The texture of the grilled vegetables, such as mushrooms, adds a harmonious balance to the overall dish.
What is Bulgogi Recipe?
What Is Bulgogi Made of?
First, let me explain the basic ingredients that go into a bulgogi marinade. The base of the marinade is soy sauce, with sugar and corn syrup to add sweetness. Fruits such as pears are used to enhance the sweetness and tenderize the meat. Garlic is added for extra flavor. Common vegetables typically stir-fried with the meat include onions, green onions, and mushrooms (such as enoki or oyster mushrooms).
Galbijjim is one of Korea’s signature dishes, just like bulgogi. While both use a soy sauce-based marinade and beef, the key difference is that galbijjim features thick-cut short ribs that are braised until tender. If you enjoy the rich, meaty texture of beef, you’ll love this boneless galbijjim recipe.
Bulgogi Sauce
The bulgogi sauce for the traditional dish and the bulgogi burger sauce are slightly different. Both sauces are based on soy sauce and sugar, giving them a sweet and savory flavor. The traditional bulgogi sauce includes fruits like pear to tenderize the meat, onions, and garlic to allow the seasoning to penetrate deeply into the meat. While bulgogi burger sauce can be made with the same ingredients as traditional bulgogi, it is usually made with powders for simplicity. Onion powder is used instead of fresh onion, and garlic powder is used instead of fresh garlic, making the sauce quicker and easier to prepare.
Korean Burger
Korean burgers go beyond the basic beef patty, with varieties like rice burgers and shrimp burgers making them truly diverse. To non-Koreans, these may seem like strange burgers, but once you try them, you might open your eyes to a whole new flavor and keep coming back for more. Living in Europe (Belgium), I miss Korean-style burgers, haha. Although there are some Korean-style burgers in Europe, most of them are Korean BBQ burgers with gochujang sauce. Let’s explore the variety of unique and interesting Korean burgers.
- Rice burger: The most famous rice burger brand in Korea is ‘Bongousse Rice Burger’. The rice bun is seasoned with seaweed, salt, and sesame oil, and is typically filled with tuna mayo, kimchi, spam, and egg. It’s a popular food among students and a nostalgic dish for Koreans.
- Shrimp burger: Shrimp burgers are popular in Korea, some made with shrimp patties fried like katsu, and others, like at Burger King, topped with whole shrimp. Unlike meat patties, tartar sauce is used, and the crunchy texture of the shrimp bursting in your mouth makes for a delicious burger.
- Korean Fried Chicken Burger: Korean chicken burgers are very popular. A crispy and juicy Korean fried chicken patty is placed inside a burger bun. A popular brand of Korean chicken burgers is ‘Mom’s Touch’. While they originally specialized in Korean fried chicken, they are also famous for making excellent chicken burgers. Recently, they’ve gained even more popularity with a menu collaboration with Chef Edward Lee of Culinary Class Wars, Netflix.
- Buldak Burger: Capitalizing on the global trend of buldak (spicy chicken), ‘Shake Shack’ introduced a Buldak Galbi Burger. The burger is topped with green onions and perilla leaves and drizzled with Buldak Galbi mayo, making it a very Korean burger. The Buldak Burger includes Buldak Galbi glaze sauce, Buldak Galbi mayo, and cheese, recreating the flavor of Cheese Dakgalbi (spicy fried chicken with cheese). As someone who loves Buldak, I really wanted to try this menu but couldn’t since I was in Korea. I hope to make it soon and share the recipe!
What Is in A Bulgogi Burger?
The ingredients for a Bulgogi Burger are really simple.
First, the bun! Since it’s a Korean burger, it uses a sesame seed bun, just like the Lotteria Bulgogi Burger. The sauce is a sweet bulgogi sauce, and the recipe I’m showing you today is exactly the same as the Lotteria Bulgogi Burger sauce. There’s also a generous amount of mayonnaise to add richness. The bulgogi patty is made with ground beef and basic patty ingredients like salt, and then the sauce is added to complete the bulgogi patty. The vegetables are just onions and lettuce, and that’s all you need for a perfect Bulgogi burger.
Surprised at how easy and simple it is? The original Bulgogi Burger doesn’t require as many fancy ingredients as the Bulgogi burgers you might find overseas.
What to Serve with Bulgogi Burgers?
If you search this question on Google, you will find an answer that says bulgogi burgers are served with rice and kimchi. However, this was probably written by someone who is not Korean.
While it may sound delicious to eat kimchi and a burger together, you won’t find bulgogi burgers served with kimchi and rice anywhere in Korea. In Korea, bulgogi burgers are usually served with fries and Coke, just like most other burgers.
Korean Ingredients for Bulgogi Burger
- Jin Ganjang (Soy Sauce)
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Shop in EU: https://amzn.to/3Ek7ESL (Germany), https://amzn.to/3EFWWpP (Netherlands)
- Mulyeot (Corn Syrup)
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- MSG
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- Matsul (Korean Cooking Wine)
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Original Bulgogi Burger, Lotteria Style.
Equipment
- 2 Pans (1 for patties, 1 for buns)
- 1 Spatula (for flipping and pressing the patties)
- Small bowls (for preparing the bulgogi sauce and slurry)
- Spoons
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
Make Bulgogi Patties
- 250 g ground meat(60%beef, 40%pork) (Pork is good to make a tender patty)
- 1/4 onion
- 1 leaf lettuce
- 2 sesame seeds hamburger buns
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
Seasoning for Meat
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 pinch MSG
- 4 grinds black pepper
Bulgogi Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp corn syrup
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch ginger powder
- 2 grinds black pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Starch Slurry
- 1 tsp potato starch
- 4 tbsp water
Instructions
Make Bulgogi Patties
- Season the ground meat with 2 pinches of salt, 1 pinch of MSG, and 4 grinds of black pepper.
- Shape the seasoned meat into round patties.
- Let the patties sit for 30 minutes to allow the seasoning to absorb.
Prepare Vegetables
- Tear the lettuce into small pieces.
- Slice the onion thinly.
- Make Bulgogi Sauce
- Mix the following ingredients well:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp cooking wine2 tbsp sugar2 tbsp corn syrup1/2 tbsp onion powder1/2 tbsp garlic powderA few shakes of ginger powderA few shakes of black pepper1 tsp sesame oil
- Pour the Bulgogi sauce into a pot and bring it to a boil.
- Once it starts boiling, add 1 tsp of potato starch and 4 tbsp of water to make a cornstarch slurry. Add the slurry to the sauce.
- Continue to simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
- Remember, the sauce will thicken more as it cools, so don’t let it get too thick. Watch my Youtube video for guidance to avoid mistakes.
Cook Bulgogi Patties
- Heat a pan and add cooking oil.
- Place the patties in the pan and press down slightly as they cook.
- Cover the pan to help the patties cook through and stay moist inside.
Toast Burger Buns
- Lower the heat on the pan and melt 10g of butter.
- Toast the sesame seed burger buns in the pan until golden brown.
Assemble Bulgogi Burger
- Spread the Bulgogi sauce on the bottom bun.
- Place the Bulgogi patty on top and drizzle more Bulgogi sauce on top of the patty.
- Add the lettuce and onion.
- Generously spread mayonnaise on the top bun and place it on top of the burger.
Original Bulgogi Burger, Lotteria Style
- Bulgogi burger 불고기버거
- Jal meokgetseumnida! (잘 먹겠습니다!)
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @blondekimchi_ on Instagram and hashtag it #blondekimchi.